David Foster Wallace's 2006 Times Magazine profile of Roger Federer is one of sports journalism's most famous write-arounds. Or, as Wallace wrote himself, the piece was "a spectator’s experience of Federer, and its context." But the Times flew Wallace out to Wimbledon, so surely he got to spend some time with Federer, right? Federer was asked today during an AMA on Reddit if he ever read it:
Read more...
This week on the podcast we're talking about Google, Google, and more Google. Also, your questions about keeping to a budget, cold-emailing your dream job's company, and freeing up space on your iPhone.
How to Listen to This Week's EpisodeHere's how you can listen to our episode:
Download the MP3 directly.Subscribe on iTunes.Subscribe to the RSS feed.Just listen to it in the Souncloud player below. News and Top StoriesGoogle I/O Roundup: We attended Google I/O last week and learned about what’s next for the company.
Gmail Users Can Now Try the New Hangouts: Gmail users can now try the new Hangouts right from Gmail, though it removes the ability to call phones with Google Voice. Luckily, you can revert back to the old chat if you want and Gmail calling will be officially restored in the near future.
Google Chrome 27 Out of Beta, Loads Pages 5% Faster: Chrome 27 is out of beta and available for download now. The biggest benefit: It'll load pages 5% faster. And voice search. Google Now in Google!
Google Unveils Play Music All Access, a Subscription Music Service: Google took the wraps off of Google Play Music All Access, a new subscription music service, that offers playlists and music suggestions based on songs you already own and love. The service is already packed with music from Google Play Music, and any songs you see you can play or turn into a streaming radio station.
Google Music All Access: Should It Be Your New Streaming Service? Google unveiled Google Play Music All Access, a subscription music and internet radio service that opens the door to millions of tracks, all intermingled with the music you already own. Sounds great, and the price is competitive, but should you ditch your current streaming service for it? Let's take a look.
Yahoo! Acquires Tumblr: Yahoo has acquired blogging service Tumblr to the tune of $1.1 billion, news that CEO Marissa Mayer posted to her own Tumblr (and subsequently, Yahoo's corporate Tumblr). They promise to keep it independent and "not screw it up."
Flickr Offers 1TB of Free Space for Your Photos, $50 Yearly for No Ads: Yahoo, in an attempt to make its photo-hosting service Flickr relevant again, decided to offer 1TB of free space to all users. The downside? Everyone who doesn't pay $50 per year gets ads.
Twitter Gets Two-Factor Authentication: Twitter finally added two-factor authentication and you should enable it right now. We probably don't need to tell you why, but just in case you forgot about social engineering hacks you want to enable this feature to protect yourself.
Questions and Answers Is it appropriate to send my dream job a cold-call email asking about employment opportunities and, if so, how do I go about asking? Be clear you really want to work for them, not that you just really want the job. Try to get to know someone at the company by offering to buy them lunch or just stopping by to meet the receptionist, then ask for advice about how to approach the company. If sending them a cold email, be concise and ask what one has to do to get a job and when you should look for the next opportunity. Just asking for a job might get ignored unless your timing is perfect.How can I digitally catalog my mom’s belongings so the entire family of both Android and iPhone users can easily look up what box they’re in? The caller suggested Evernote and we think that's the way to go, too. Springpad might be one other alternative, or even a spreadsheet if you want something really simple (although Google Docs isn't fantastic on smartphones).I'm 20 and financially irresponsible, mostly because I eat out too much. How can I balance my budget and start cooking more? Budget with Mint or get a bank account that automatically saves money for you. To cook more, plan your meals. These simple recipes are a good place to start.Is there one good way to convert iPhone videos (quicktime,.mov) to a Windows Media Player format? Nope, not without spending some money on robust video conversion software. MP4 works pretty much everywhere so we suggest converting to that using Handbrake (free).I am a teacher and want to move to paperless classroom. Is there an easy way for lots of people to scan documents quickly? Looking to buy stuff for the classroom next year. Any products ideas? Doxie works really well, and you can move them around the class really easily. It integrates with Evernote so you can put all the scans into one notebook and share that notebook with the entire class. If you don't like Doxie, check out these alternatives.What do you recommend for freeing up space on iPhone? Transfer pics and video to a flash drive? Is that just drag and drop? Yes, you answered your own question. :) Plug in the phone on a Mac and open Image Capture to drag and drop files wherever you want. On a Windows PC, just access the phone like a drive and find your pictures and images in the DCIM folder like any camera. If you want to try and free up more space, you can see what apps are using the most space in the General section of the Settings apps. If something is using most of your iPhone's storage, you can go into that app and delete what you don't need. Tips of the WeekAlan’s Tip: Avoid Dealer Advertising and Delivery Fees to Save Big Buying a Car
Whitson’s Tip: Find Free Wi-Fi Passwords on FourSquare
Dachis’ Tip: Get Great Deals at the Amazon Outlet Store You Never Knew Existed
Downloads of the WeekAlan’s Pick: CupCloud (Windows/OS X) and Minbox (OS X)
Whitson’s Pick: ObjectDock (Windows)
Dachis’ Pick: GText (Chrome)
How Do I Submit a Question?There are two ways to send in your question:
Call (347) 687-8109 and record a question. Calls are awesome! We like them!Email your question to tips+asklhshow@lifehacker.com.Please keep your questions as brief as possible. This means about 3-5 sentences for emails and 30-60 seconds for calls and videos. Your questions can be specific, but broader questions are generally better because they'll apply to more people. For example, "how can I breathe new life into my old PDA?" is much better than "what can I do with an old HP iPAQ 210?" Either way, we look forward to hearing from you!
Newspaper, Computer, Clock (by Brandon Hopkins), and Alert (by Dima Yagnyuk) provided by the Noun Project.
Google is rolling out as-you-type search results in Gmail so you can instantly see not only relevant emails, but also Drive files, calendar events, and more. Learn more about it here.
Mac/iOS/Web: Evernote is incredibly popular, but it has been missing one key feature: reminders. Today, Evernote has updated its apps to include easy-to-use reminders.
We've featured a few workarounds for turning your notes into reminders before, but now that it's integrated during into Evernote it's easier than ever. Just select any note, click the alarm clock icon, set the time and date, and a reminder is created. It's as easy as that. You can then set up how you want to be notified as well, including getting an email or just a notification within Evernote itself. The feature is included in updated versions of its Mac, iOS, and web app that are rolling out today. Other platforms, including the Windows and Android apps should get the update in the near future.
Evernote Reminders Are Here on Mac, iOS, and Web | Evernote Blog
iPad: Mailbox, the Gmail app that's made to help you get to inbox zero, is now available for the iPad. Like its iPhone counter-part, it sports a clean design and gesture-based interface that makes flicking through email easy.
We liked the iPhone version of Mailbox quite a bit, and the iPad app is essentially the same. The big difference is that with the increased screen real estate you now get a reading screen on the right side of the inbox queue. The iPad version of Mailbox features all the same gestures as the iPhone version as well. Swipe right to send an email to the archives, or swipe left to snooze a message for later. You can also swipe all the way to the left to send messages into to-do list folders so you don't lose them, or the way to right to sent them to the trash. Mailbox still only works with Gmail, but if you're interested in checking it out, it's free, and there's no waiting-list this time around.
Mailbox (Free) | iTunes App Store
Twitter finally added two-factor authentication and you should enable it right now. We probably don't need to tell you why, but just in case you forgot about social engineering hacks you want to enable this feature to protect yourself.
To enable two-factor authentication in Twitter, you first need to verify your phone number and email address. With that complete, follow these steps:
Visit your account settings page.Select “Require a verification code when I sign in.”Click on the link to “add a phone” and follow the prompts.You’ll be asked to enter a six-digit code sent to your phone via SMS each time you sign in to twitter.com. (Note: That doesn't mean every time you access Twitter, but just when it requires you to sign in.)For more information, check out the full post on Twitter, and be sure to enable two-factor authentication everywhere else, too!
Getting started with login verification | Twitter Blog
The latest release of Chrome (27), now available for download, adds Google's conversational voice search for Star Trek-style voice searching.
We're still exploring all the things it can do, but we've talked about some of it before, when Google announced it at I/O. It can understand where you are, look up events on your calendar, and even understand context—so if you ask it "Who is the president of the United States?" it'll answer Barack Obama, after which you can ask "How tall is he?" and it will understand who you're talking about.
The service isn't fully fleshed out yet, though. You can't start searches by saying "Google" just yet, and some other demoed features may not work, but much of it is up and running. If you're using Chrome, update your software and head to Google.com to check it out.
Google Now style voice search now live in Chrome stable channel | Android Central
Back in March, Best Buy and Target upped their game and decided to start matching the prices from online retailers such as Amazon. That's a pretty sweet deal overall, you should know about the caveats before you rush to your local store in hopes of a deal.
Target's price matching works like you'd hope: if you find a lower price before you go in you get a discount, but if you realize you overpaid during the following week you can go back and get a discount. At Best Buy, you have to know about the better price prior to purchasing any given item. Does this make sense? Not really, seeing as Best Buy doesn't charge a restocking fee for returns. If you wanted to, you could return the item and then re-purchase it with the discount.
Although Target offers more flexibility with the timeframe, the number of retailers they're willing to acknowledge is pretty slim. They'll only match lower prices on Target.com (yes, they undercut themselves a lot), Amazon.com, Walmart.com, BestBuy.com, ToysRUs.com, and BabiesRUs.com. Best Buy, on the other hand, matches 19 online retailers: Amazon.com, Apple.com, Bhphotovideo.com, Buy.com, Crutchfield.com, Dell.com, Frys.com, hhgregg.com, HP.com, HomeDepot.com, Lowes.com, Newegg.com, OfficeDepot.com, OfficeMax.com, Sears.com, Staples.com, Target.com, TigerDirect.com and Walmart.com.
Both Target and Best Buy also have a few other caveats. You can't price match an unlimited number of identical items, as both stores limit you to just one. Both stores have their own paragraph-long list of exclusions, too, which cover mobile phones, service plans, and a variety of other things. If you want to learn more about these restrictions and other rules, check out the online price matching policies from their respective stores.
Target Low Price Promise and Best Buy Low Price Guarantee
Chrome 27 is out of beta and available for download now. The biggest benefit: It'll load pages 5% faster. Learn more here. [via The Next Web]
ESPN is laying off a portion of its staff today, a network spokesman confirms to us. How many? ESPN won't say. A tipster told us earlier today that it would be more than 400 staffers. A source at ESPN said that number is a little high, but it appears to be in the hundreds.
Read more...
Yahoo, in an attempt to make its photo-hosting service Flickr relevant again, decided to offer 1TB of free space to all users. The downside? Everyone who doesn't pay $50 per year gets ads.
An entire terabyte of space is a generous gift to users who still care about storing tons of high-resolution photos. (For the record, I'm one of them, but most people like posting low-resolution images to Instagram nowadays.) Nevertheless, not all users are pleased because the previous paid service offering didn't have a storage limit (although existing pro users get grandfathered in). Flickr's new "Ad Free" tier costs an extra $5 per year and puts a limit on storage. While 1TB seems like more than most anyone could need for their photo collection, Flickr also decided to offer a "doublr" tier that provides an extra terabyte of space for a whopping $500 per year.
While it's hard to argue against the free space Flickr now offers its users, as the photo sharing service lost its momentum shortly after Yahoo acquired it (and slowed development to a crawl), we're saddened to see the users who paid to support Flickr over the years get the short straw. Even still, the disenfranchised won't find a better deal from Flickr's rivals.
Yahoo Drops Flickr Pro To Compete With Facebook, Still Offers Two Paid Tiers For Ad Haters And Power Users | TechCrunch
Yahoo, in an attempt to make its photo-hosting service Flickr relevant again, decided to offer 1TB of free space to all users. The downside? Everyone who doesn't pay $50 per year gets ads.
An entire terabyte of space is a generous gift to users who still care about storing tons of high-resolution photos. (For the record, I'm one of them, but most people like posting low-resolution images to Instagram nowadays.) Nevertheless, not all users are pleased because the previous paid service offering didn't have a storage limit (although existing pro users get grandfathered in). Flickr's new "Ad Free" tier costs an extra $5 per year and puts a limit on storage. While 1TB seems like more than most anyone could need for their photo collection, Flickr also decided to offer a "doublr" tier that provides an extra terabyte of space for a whopping $500 per year.
While it's hard to argue against the free space Flickr now offers its users, as the photo sharing service lost its momentum shortly after Yahoo acquired it (and slowed development to a crawl), we're saddened to see the users who paid to support Flickr over the years get the short straw. Even still, the disenfranchised won't find a better deal from Flickr's rivals.
Yahoo Drops Flickr Pro To Compete With Facebook, Still Offers Two Paid Tiers For Ad Haters And Power Users | TechCrunch
Ars Technica reports that AT&T doesn't want all its users making video calls over cellular data just yet. The recently-announced revamp to Google+ Hangouts won't connect on an AT&T Android smartphone unless you're connected to Wi-Fi. You won't find yourself restricted if you subscribe to a tiered or mobile share plan. Those with unlimited plans and LTE-enabled devices can expect full video chat support later this year.
Gmail users can now try the new Hangouts right from Gmail, though it removes the ability to call phones with Google Voice. Luckily, you can revert back to the old chat if you want. Read more at The Verge.
Update: Google has noted that Gmail calling is on the way, and that Hangouts will have much more Google Voice integration in the future.
Yahoo has acquired blogging service Tumblr to the tune of $1.1 billion, news that CEO Marissa Mayer posted to her own Tumblr (and subsequently, Yahoo's corporate Tumblr). They promise to keep it independent and "not screw it up." [TechCrunch]
Travel planning service TripIt is one of our favorite ways to organize your tickets, hotels, and travel plans all in one place for a stress-free travel experience. Now the service makes the trip there more comfortable, and can notify you when a better seat is available on one of your flights.
If you've ever been stuck in a middle seat on a long flight, you know a special kind of hell that most of us don't want to endure often. Most of us prefer an aisle or a window seat for a reason, and now TripIt will take your preference—along with whether you'd rather be in the front or the back of the cabin, or whether you're willing to pay for extra legroom or a cabin upgrade, and even if you're traveling in a group that would like to stick together—and actively scan your flights to see if seats matching your choices turn up. If they do, you'll be notified so you can jump on the opportunity to switch.
The new seat tracker is only available to TripIt Pro users ($49/yr, 30-day free trial available), which is well worth the money if you do any regular traveling. TripIt Pro also includes check-in reminders, live fare tracking so you always get the best price, and push notifications of any changes in your itinerary, like flight cancellations, delays, or other alerts. Free users get tons of features too, like a unified itinerary of all of your flights, hotel bookings, meetings, and more, complete with the reservation and booking information you'll need when you get there, directions from place to place, and even the weather forecast for your destination.
Hit the link below to read more about TripIt's new seat tracker, and to sign up if you don't already have an account.
TripIt Seat Tracker | TripIt
Gmail launched a new feature today called "Quick Actions," which recognize certain types of messages and help you take action on items immediately.
For example, if your friend sends you a Google Calendar invitation, you can RSVP right from your inbox by clicking the RSVP button. It'll also recognize if you ate at a restaurant and ask you to rate it or—even cooler—show you all your flight information at the top of the message if it detects a confirmation email.
Check out the full post at Google's blog for more info. You should see these buttons roll out over the next few week, with more actions to come.
Take Action Right From the Inbox | Official Gmail Blog
Google announced a new version of Maps for Android, iOS, and the web today, with a new look and a focus on location discovery.
On the desktop, Google's gotten rid of the Maps sidebar for a more map-centric experience, with a floating search bar on the left side. When you search for a location, the results show up on the map, but not on a big sidebar on the left side. You can filter the results and click on them for some dropdown cards that give you more details. It's a very cool interface, but it looks like it could be a little frustrating if you want a more traditional list.
Google has also added a new feature that highlights personal landmarks, like favorite restaurants and other locations (sourced by the same data that sources Google Now) that help you orient yourself. Certain restaurants may show up on your map by default, but not on others, and you can also see locations on your friends' maps (sourced by your Google+ circles).
It also adds some handy features for directions. If you click on a location, it'll show the names of nearby roads on the map, even if you don't usually see them by default. It's also improved directions, particularly how public transit works, which is nice.
On Android and iOS, Google is looking to improve location discovery. When you search for a location in the new Maps, you'll get a small popop on the bottom of your screen that you can swipe through easily, and drag it up for more details. iOS users will be somewhat familiar with this new card-like interface, but now it's on Android as well. If you look at the details for that location, you can check out a lot of the usual stuff—ratings from users and Zagat—but you can also see deals at that location and save them for later. They've also updated the interface for tablets, particularly for location search, and it looks pretty great.
When it comes to Navigation, Google's added better support for car accidents and other incidents that will get in your way. Just check out traffic view to see them. It'll also notify you if a faster route has become available (say, if conditions change on your current route). These are a welcome change (as long as they don't distract you from the road, of course).
The new version of Maps for desktop is available in preview right now, so you'll have to sign up for an invite to try it out. The new Maps for iOS and Android is available "this summer," so we'll have to wait awhile, but it looks like a pretty solid update. Hit the link below to read more about the new Maps.
Meet the New Google Maps: A Map for Every Person and Place | Google LatLong Blog
Google's inched ever closer to the dream of Star Trek-style computing with its new Conversational Search, unveiled today at Google I/O. You start a search by saying "Okay, Google...," speak your query, whether it's "when does my flight leave" or trivia like "what's the population of my town." Google responds, both by voice and with text results.
Conversational Search uses the data that Google has about you and your activities to power search results with information that's actually relevant to your interests. You can say "show me my vacation pictures," and Google will bring up photos you've uploaded. At the same time, you can say "Show me things to do around Washington DC," and Google will not just respond to you in-voice, but also present search results littered with popular destinations, arranged on a Google Map and with relevant links below.
The new search features don't have a real roll-out timetable (and will be available to members of Google's Search Field Trial before anyone else), but will be available as part of Google Chrome on all platforms soon.
A Multi-Screen and Conversational Search Experience | Inside Search: The Official Google Search Blog
Google took the wraps off of Google Play Music All Access, a new subscription music service, that offers playlists and music suggestions based on songs you already own and love. The service is already packed with music from Google Play Music, and any songs you see you can play or turn into a streaming radio station.
Google Play Music All Access is both a combination music search engine and internet radio station. You can control streaming radio stations down to the track, and peek at the songs coming up, swipe away any songs that you don't want to hear, and drag songs you know you'll like to the top. You can also just select a song you know you'll like, start a radio station based on it, and hit play to enjoy the music.
The new Google Play Music also includes a feature called "Listen Now," which gives you access to the new All Access radio station and suggestions from your own music library. You can mix and match as much as you like, stream your own music and suggested tunes, and access it on Android phones, tablets, and the web, starting today. A subscription to All Access will cost you $10/mo (US only at the moment), with a 30 day free trial. If you sign up by June 30th, you can sign up for $8/mo. The service is rolling out today, hit the link below to learn more (and sign up).
Music - Google Play | via The Android Official Blog
At Google's I/O conference today, the company announced some interesting new APIs as part of Google Play Services, which developers can use to enhance their apps. Some of the most interesting ones include single sign on and notification syncing, so you get alerts and can sign on just once across all your devices.
They also revealed three new map and location services APIs. These will allow for better battery performance for location tracking modes (less than 1% of battery use per hour), activity recognition (so your Android will know if you're walking or driving), and geofencing (so retail establishments can sent location-based alerts to you).
Along with these enhancements, Google also officially revealed Google Play Game Services, with cloud saving and achievements.
Android@I/O: Just press Play | Android Official Blog
Your uncle has been posting on Facebook about "Benghazi" or whatever for months now, and you have no clue what the fuck he's talking about because, really, you don't have time for this shit. It's OK. We do. Here's your guide.
Read more...
This week on the show were discussing the death of Adobe Creative Suite, building a Raspberry Pi retro game console, and how you’re embarrassing yourself online. We’re also answering your questions about repurposing old Mac computers, the advantages of Dashlane over Lastpass, and how to beat the heat this summer.
How to Listen to This Week's EpisodeHere's how you can listen to our episode:
Download the MP3 directly.Subscribe on iTunes.Subscribe to the RSS feed.Just listen to it in the Souncloud player below. News and Top Stories Adobe Kills Creative Suite, Goes Subscription Only Instead: Adobe announced the end of their Creative Suite software, instead choosing to focus on their Adobe Creative Cloud subscription service. CS6 is the last version you can buy and download, and if you want access to tools like Photoshop and Illustrator in the future, you'll need a subscription to get them. Further reading: What Photoshop's Move to the Cloud Actually Means for You and Build Your Own Adobe Creative Suite with Free and Cheap Software.YouTube Offers Paid Channel Subscriptions: YouTube announced that it will begin offering paid channels from select content partners. All channels will have a 14-day free trial and some will offer discounted rates for yearly subscriptions. Prices start at $0.99 per month. Read more here.Demonoid Returns? The popular torrenting site Demonoid appeared to resurface yet again this week, but it was a potentially dangerous hoax. If you receive any emails about getting back on Demonoid, discard them and move on.Cyanogenmod 10.1 Hits Release Candidate Status: The long-awaited Cyanogenmod 10.1.0—the version based on Android 4.2 Jellybean—just made release candidate status. You can find the 40 supported devices on the official Cyanogenmod announcement page or by going directly to the downloads.How to Build an All-In-One Retro Game Console for $35, the Easy Way: Since its release, the $35 Raspberry Pi mini-computer has been hailed as the perfect all-in-one retro game console. Now, it's easier to do than ever, and it doesn't take any advanced Linux knowledge. Here's how to make your own retro game console in about 30 minutes.How You're Unknowingly Embarrassing Yourself Online (and How to Stop): You probably know not to post things online that could bite you later, but many of us do it all the time anyway—often without even realizing it. Whether it's a friend tagging you in a photo or admitting you torrent your movies in a Facebook status, even innocuous posts or photos can damage your relationships, get you in trouble at work, or even land you in legal hot water. Here's what we mean, and how to stop.How to Bring Your Car into the 21st Century with a Few DIY Upgrades: Whether you bought a new car yesterday or you’re riding along in a decades-old junker, your vehicle of choice may not have all the modern capabilities you desire. A few key upgrades can fix that, providing you with everything from a killer Bluetooth audio system to a smoother, more enjoyable ride. Questions and AnswersEach week we answer five questions from readers and listeners. Here's what we tackled this week.
How can I repurpose an old PowerPC Mac desktop or laptop? Use one of our Windows repurposing suggestions (as they also apply to Mac in many cases) or read this post.Why won’t my iPod Nano sync with Spotify Premium offline tracks? Because, unfortunately, it can’t.My bedroom is ridiculously warm. What can I do about it? You really ought to buy an air conditioner (and can get help picking one out here), but if you want to follow the cheaper route you can try some DIY alternatives first. If it's more of a sleeping problem, you might just need to learn to stay cool while you sleep (which is a lot easier than keeping a room at a steady, comfortable temperature when it's hot out). For more ideas, keep an eye on our beat the heat tag page.What's better? Dashlane or Lastpass? We really like Lastpass, but Alan is fond of Dashlane because it offers a bunch of additional useful features like purchase history tracking and full encryption.Do you have to root to install Cyanogenmod? Yes, you have to root your Android phone or tablet in order to flash a new ROM. Tips of the Week Alan's Pick: Ask for Cash Instead of a Voucher When You're Bumped from a FlightThorin's Pick: Create Your Own Adventure Tours by Modifying Routes on Tour SitesDachis' Pick: Before You Ask for a Raise, Answer the Questions on Your Boss' Mind Downloads of the Week Alan's Pick: Focus@Will (Android)Thorin's Pick: Paper (iPad)Dachis' Pick: Pixelmator (OS X) How Do I Submit a Question?There are two ways to send in your question:
Call (347) 687-8109 and record a question. Calls are awesome! We like them!Email your question to tips+asklhshow@lifehacker.com.Please keep your questions as brief as possible. This means about 3-5 sentences for emails and 30-60 seconds for calls and videos. Your questions can be specific, but broader questions are generally better because they'll apply to more people. For example, "how can I breathe new life into my old PDA?" is much better than "what can I do with an old HP iPAQ 210?" Either way, we look forward to hearing from you!
YouTube just announced that it will begin offering paid channels from select content partners. All channels will have a 14-day free trial and some will offer discounted rates for yearly subscriptions. Prices start at $0.99 per month. Read more here.
